Mule-spinning machinery.



.PATENTED JAN. 13,1903.

LBRIGGS, JR. MULE SPINNING MACHINERY.

vAPPLICATION FILED FEB. 20,- 1901.

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APPLICATION FILED FBIB..20, 1901.

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No. 718,-419. I PATENTEDJAN. 13, 1903.

I. BRIGGSyJR.

MULE SPINNING MACHINERY.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 1901. no MODEL. a sums-sum 4.

I k ll) WITNESSES;

ITIOMIEYS PATENTED JAN I BRIGGS, JR. MULE SPINNING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1901.

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No.- 718,419. I 'PATBNTBD JAN. 13, 1-903.

I. BRIGGS; JR. Y

MULE SPINNING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION rum) rm. 20,1901. no menu. a SHEETS-833M 6.

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HIT/V5 1 3 718,419- v PATENTBD JAN.;13, 1903-.

'I. BRIGGS, JR. MULE SPINNING MACHINERY.

APPLIO ATIOI V PILED'FBB. 20, 1901. H0 MODEL. B SHEETS-SHEET 8.

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ISAAC BRIGGS, JR, OF WAKEFIELD, ENGLAND.

MULE-SPINNING MAQHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718 419, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed February 20, 1901. Serial No. 48,086. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC BRIGGS, Jr., a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Wakefield, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MuleSpinning Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention has for its object improvements in spinning machinery known as mule-spinning machinery, of which there are two classes-via, worsted or cotton mules and woolen-mules; and my invention will be shown as applicable to both kinds, the object being the same in both casesviz., to

produce a continuous yarn of varying or graduated thickness, such variations from one thickness to the other being extended over a considerable length of yarn. afterward used to produce garments thick in some places and thin in others without any sudden changes or breaks in the yarn.

.In order that my invention may be clearly understood and easily carried into practical effect, I have appended hereunto nine'sheets of drawings, showing my invention as applied to both classes of'mnles before mentioned.

In explaining my invention as applied to these two classes of mules it has been necessary to both illustrate various portions of these mules now well known and also to explain the working of these known parts or motions for the purpose of showing the action and relationship of my invention to such mules. 1

Figure 1 is an end view showing a portion of a mule for spinning worsted or cotton with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a part front view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front View showing one arrangement for increasing" or diminishing the twist put into the yarn for either worsted, cotton, or woolen mules. Fig.

'4 is a left-hand end view of Fig. 3.

hand end view of Fig.7. Fig. 9 is a side view showing the drawing-roller shaft, the slub-- This yarn is bing-wheel, the changeable cam, the sliding stop-bar, and a portion of the frame of a woolen-mule as another mode of carrying out my invention for automatically varying the amount of slubbing fed forward by the feedrollers of a woolen-mule. Fig. 10 is a front view of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a plan viewof the belt-skipper.

In the present construction of worsted or ,cotton mules the roving is fed through a pair of rollers called' back rollers, then through one ormore sets of carrier-rollers to the front or drawing-rollers, which are so connect-ed by gearing to the back rollers as to give the front rollers a greater surface speed, thus drawing out the fibers of worsted or cotton.

This difference between the surface speed of the front with the usual gearing connecting the front and back rollers and apply my graduating mechanism to the back-rollers a consisting of two graduating cones b and c. The graduated cone b, which is mounted upon the shaft d,'is the driving-cone andis itselfdriven from the main or'counter shaft by a belt passing over the pulley e, fixed on the end of the shaftd, the loose pulleyf being also mounted upon this end of the shaft 01, thus enabling the 'cone 1) to be started or stopped independently of the mule. The belt 9 connects the driving-cone b with the driven cone 0, which is mounted upon the shaft h. Also mounted upon the shaft h is the pulley 'i, from which the strap j passes to the fast and loose pulleys k and Z, mounted on a sleeve m, running loosely upon the stud 'm, fixed to a convenient part of the frame of the mule. Also fixed upon the same sleeve m as the fast pulley k is the gear-wheel n, gearing with the gear wheel o, fixed on a sleeve mounted on a stud p, and upon this sleeve is fixed another gear-wheel q, gearing with the gear-wheel r, fixed on a sleeve mounted on the stud s, and also fixed upon this sleeve is the gear-wheel t, gearing with the gear-wheel u, fixed on the same shaft as the back rollers a, by which means motion is transmitted to the back rollers, and as these rollers revolve the roving is fed forward through them then through one or more sets of carrier-rollers o to the front or drawing rollers to, which are driven in the usual manner at a greater surface speed than the back rollers, and so draw out the fibers of worsted or cotton.

Now in order to obtain a varying or graduated thickness in the yarn as it is fed from the back rollers to the front rollers the belt g, connecting the cones Z) and c, is made to travel slowly across the face of these two cones, so giving a varying speed to the shaft 71, upon which the driven cone is fixed, and this belt 9 is traversed along the variable cones by the strap-forks 00, carried by the traveling frame or carriage y by the motion of the long screw Motion is imparted to this screw by the gear-wheel 1, which is fixed on one end, gearing with the gear-wheel 2, fixed on a sleeve mounted on the stud 3. Also fixed on this sleeve is the gear-wheel 4, gearing with the wheel 5, fixed on a sleeve mounted on the stud (5, and upon this same sleeve is fixed the sprocket-wheel 7, connected by the driving-chain S with the sprocketwheel 9, fixed on a sleeve on the usual back shaft 10, which is lengthened for this purpose, motion being imparted to it in the ordinary manner. It will be seen that as a constant motion is imparted to the cones h and c and that in mule-spinning the act of spinning is intermittent, the rollers being at rest while the carriage 11 is returning, the screw .2, which operates the traveling frame or carriage y and strapforks w, must only revolve and traverse the belt when the back rollers are in motion, and this I accomplish by fixing upon the back shaft 10 the disk 12, carrying the pawl 13, which takes into the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 14,-, fixed upon the sleeve which carries the sprocket-wheel 9. By this means it will be evident that when the motion of the back shaft 10 is reversed and the carriage ll returning the pawl 13 will slide over the teeth of the ratchetwheel 1.4, and as this ratchetwheel and sprocket-wheel 9 are mounted loosely upon the shaft 10 they will remain stationary. Consequently the gearing which actuates the screw :5 is stationary also, and the belt which drives the cones b and c ceases to travel across. As a safeguard against the ratchet-wheel 14 and sprocket-wheel 9 accidentally revolving with the back shaft when the motion is reversed, I fix upon the stud 6 the ratchet-wheel 15, into the teeth of which the pawl 16, pivoted at 17 to the bracket 18, fixed to the frame of the machine, takes. Thus it will be seen it is impossible for the gearing which drives the screw .2 to revolve in the reverse direction. Now as the cones b and c are kept constantly running and in order to allow the feed-rollers to remain stationary while the carriage returns I provide the knock-off rod 19. Upon this rod I have shown a collar 20,

fixed with a set-screw, against which a projection 20 on the carriage strikes as it reaches the limit of its traverse and knocks off the driving-belt j onto the loose pulley Z, thus stopping the gear which drives the feed-rollers. In the same manner when the carriage reaches the limit of its return traverse the projection 20 on the carriage comes against the collar 21 on the other end of the knockoff rod 19 and moves it in the reverse direction, thus transferring the belt back onto the fast pulley k and again starting the feedrollers for the same motions to be repeated.

By the above-described arrangement the belt g, which connects the cones Z) and c, is never stopped except when the bobbins are doffed or the belt requires readjusting for the next set of bobbins, thus avoiding slip of belt on the cones from constant starting and stopping; but many variations and alternatives in the mechanistn may be used with similar effect to obtain the graduated feed. Again, it will be quite evident to those conversant with the spinning of yarn that a corresponding graduation will be required in the twist imparted to the yarn, as a finer yarn necessarily requires more twist than the thicker counts, and this graduation or variation in the twist is effected by allowing the carriage y to dwell while the spindles continue to revolve for more or less period of time after the rollers and carriage have stopped. This variation in the length of time the spindles continue to revolve maybe accomplished in the manner as hereinafter explained as one example.

Fixed at the rear of a headstock of a mule is the usual lever known as the twist-wheel lever, which controls the fork that knocks off the driving-belt through the medium of a knocking-off tappet,which asit travels around comes in contact with and moves this twistwheel lever, so causing it to liberate the beltfork lever and allows the action of the spiral spring to throw the belt off the fast onto the loose pulley. As soon as the tappet has performed this operation it runs back by the action of a balance-Weight to a stop-pin, the position of which is determined before commencing to spin the yarn, so that this tappet travels only a certain distance or a portion of a revolution, and the distance the tappet travels determines the length of time the bobbins continue to revolve, and consequently the amount of twist put into the yarn. Now in order to automatically increase or decrease the amount of twist put into the yarn according to the varying thickness spun I provide means for varying the position of the stop pin or peg 22, as clearly shown at Figs. 3 and 4:. This stop pin or peg is fixed to the face of the worm-wheel 23, fixed on the same shaft 24: as the tappets 25, and gearing with the wormwheel 23 is the worm 26, fixed on the shaft 27, supported in suitable bearings attached to the frame of the machine. Fixed on one end of the shaft 27 is the gear-wheel 28, gearing with the gear-wheel 29, fixed on the end of the shaft 30,

IIO

upon which the fast and loose pulleys 31 32 are mounted. Also fixed onthe opposite end of the shaft 27 is the gear-wheel 33, gearing with the gear-wheel 34, fixed on the end of the shaft 35, and upon this shaft 35 is fixed the worm 36, gearing with the worm-wheel 37, fixed on the shaft 38. Upon this shaft 38 is also fixed the disk 39, having upon its face the cam or eccentric ring 40, which fits between the pegs 41, fixed to the slide 42, attached to the frame of the machine. It will readily be seen that when motion is imparted. to the shaft 30 it will be transmitted to the shaft 27 and from thence to the shaft 24, upon which the tappet 25 is mounted, thus operating, this tappet, and as it revolves around in the direction of the arrow 43 it will come in contact with the twist-wheel lever 44, which is pivoted to the frame of the machine at 45, thereby moving the belt from the fast pulley 31 onto the loose pulley 32, consequently stopping the spindles. The shaft 24 is now lifted, so as to disengage the worm-wheel 23 with the worm 26, and allowed to run back, by reason of the weight 46, until the peg 22 comes in contact with the stop 47 on the slide 42, and as the position of this stop is variable by the action of the cam 40 the length of arc traversed by the tappet is variable also consequently the length of time the spindles continue to revolve after the carriage has stopped is governed by the position of this stop at the time the carriage stops, thereby putting into the yarn at each traverse of the carriage a different number of twists, the cam 40 being arranged so that the tappet has a greater distance to traverse before reaching the twist-wheel lever 44 when a finer portion of the yarn is being spun and a less distance to travel when spinning a thicker portion, by which means the time the spindles are allowed to remain running is varied, thus also varying the amount of twist put into the yarn. As soon as the tap pet releases the twist-wheel lever it is moved back to its former position by the action of the spring 47 bringing the belt back onto the loose pulley ready for the next operation, as clearly shown at Fig. 3. Though I have given an example of means for operating the tappet, it will be understood that many modes of doing this may be used.

At Figs. 5, 6, '7, and 8 I have shown two other methods for putting a graduation in the twist imparted to theyarn. In the arrangements as shown at Figs. 5 and 6 instead of a horizontal sliding stop-piece I provided the cam-surface stop piece 48, mounted on the screw 49 and working in the slide 50. Motion is imparted to the screw 49 by the worm-wheel 51, fixed on the lower end, which gears with the worm 52, fixed on the shaft 53. Also fixed on this shaft 53 is the wormwheel 54, gearing with the worm 55, fixed on the shaft 27. It will easily be understood that as motion is imparted to the screw 49 the camsurface stop will travel upward, thus increasin g or decreasingthe distance the tappet 25 has to travel before it strikes the twist-wheel lever 44 and knocks off the band from the fast onto 7 the loose pulley, thereby varying the length of time the spindles continue to revolve after the carriage has stopped, and consequently imparting a graduation in the twist put into the yarn, or I may obtain agraduation in the twist put into the yarn by the arrangement as shown at Figs. 7 and 8. In this case I fix the worm-wheel 51 on the lower end of the shaft 56, and near the other end of this shaft I fix the worm 57, which gears with the wormwheel 58, fixed on the sleeve 59, mounted loosely on theshaft 24. Also fixed on this sleeve 59 is the arm or projection 60, against which the stop pin or peg 22 catches, when the worm-wheel 23, to which it is attached, is released and runs back. It will readily be understood that when motion is imparted to the shaft27 it will be transmitted to the shafts 24 53 56, thus moving the tappet 25,

consequently operating the twist-wheel lever 44 and transferring the belt from the fast onto the loose pulley,and as the wormwheel 53, with the sleeve 59 and arm 60, is at the same time being gradually moved around on the shaft 24 in the direction of the arrow 61 the distance the tappet has to travel before stopping the spindles after each traverse of the carriage is gradually decreased or increased if the motion bereversed by throwing into gear automatically or otherwise the worm on the same sleeve or socket, (which is the opposite hand,) thus gradually varying the amount of twist put into the yarn; but I have said before that the mode of operating the tappet may be greatly varied and obtained in numerous ways.

At Figs. 9 and 10 I have shown the application of my invention for producing on awoolen mule a continuous yarn of varying thickness. Now in this class of mule the drawing is done by a traveling carriage instead of by aseries of rollers, as in the worsted or cotton mulethat is to say, the slubbings are passed between a set of rollers, called feed-rollers, which when set in motion deliver a certain length of slubbingsay,for example,eighteen inchesand then stop. At the same time as the slubbings are being fed forward the carriage carrying the spindles travels forward also and at about the same speed; but when the feed-rollers stop the carriage continues to advance, say, for a distance of seventytwo inches, drawing out the slubbings which i are held by the feed-rollers into a much finer thread and at the same time putting in a little twist. Then when the carriage has reached the limit of its traverse it stops; but the spindles continue to revolve until the required amount of twist has been put into the yarn.

In a woolen mule as at present constructed the feed-roller shaft .62 is driven by the clutchbox 63, provided with the lever 64 to throw it in and out of gear, which is accomplished by the lever being lifted by the projecting pinor peg 65 as the slubbing-wheel 66, to which it is fixed, revolves around. When the clutchboX is disengaged and the feed-rollers,and consequently the delivery of slubbing, stopped, the slubbing-wheel runs back by the action of the weight 67 or its equivalent to a stop, the position of which can be regulated and set to limit the traverse of the slubbingwheel. The position of this stop when once set determines the length of slubbing fed forward, which is a fixed quantity with each traverse of the carriage.

Now according to my invention in place of a fixed stop I provide the movable stop 68 which is advanced or withdrawn automatically and this may be accomplished among others in the following manner: Mounted on the shaft 69, supported in suitable bearings, is the worm-wheel 70, gearing with the worm 71, mounted on the shaft 72, driven by suitable gearing from the roller-shaft 62 or where most convenient. Also mounted on the shaft 69 is the changeable disk or cam 73, which as it revolves operates the removable stop 68. The slubbing-wheel 66, which is driven by suitable gearing from the roller-shaft 62, is mounted loosely on the stud 74, and on the inner face of this slubbing-wheel is fixed the stop-pin 75. It will be easily understood that when the feed-rollers are in motion and the slubbing being fed forward the slubbingwheel 66 will revolve in the direction of the arrow 76, the worm-wheel 70 and the changeable disk or cam 73 being set in motion also consequently the movable stop 68 is either advanced or withdrawn. Now as the slubhing-wheel continues to revolve the projecting pin or peg 65 comes in contact with and raises the slubbing-wheel or clutch-box lever 64, thus stopping the feed-roller shaft 62 and the other parts which receive motion from this shaft. The slubbing-wheel then runs back by the action of the weight 67 until the stop-pin 75 comes into contact with the projecting portion 77 of the movable stop, and as the position of the stop or sliding bar 68is automatically varied by the action of the cam 73 so the distance the slubbing-wheel travels around before the pin or peg 65 disengages the clutch-box is varied also consequently the length of slubbing fed forward must be varied. Therefore if a shorterlength of slubhing is fed forward during one traverse of the machine it will be drawn out to a finer thread at that particular portion of the yarn. In like manner if the distance the slubbing-Wheel travels around before stopping the feed-rollers is greater a longer length of slubbing is fed forward. Consequently when drawn out that portion of the yarn is thicker. Thus a continuous yarn is produced of varying or graduated thickness.

It will be seen that with the variation in the thickness of the yarn produced a corresponding variation in the twist put into the yarn will be necessary, and this may be accomplished in a similar manner to that hereinbefore described and shown in connection with worsted spinning. It will be quite understood, as before stated, that much of the intermediate mechanism herein set forth may be substituted by alterations without interfering with the graduated thickness or sub stance of the yarn or with the graduated twist.

What I claim, then, is

1. In aspinning-mule,the combination with the front and rear feed-rolls, of means for varying the speed of the rear rollers whereby the thickness of the yarn is varied, substantially as described.

2. In a spinning-mule,the combination with the front and rear feed-rollers, of changeablespeed gearing for driving one set of rolls ata Variable speed, and means for controlling the shifting of the speed-gearing operating only on the return of the carriage, substantially as described.

3. Inaspinning-mule,thecombinationwith the front and rear feed-rolls, of means for driving the rear rolls, said means including reversely-arranged cones and a belt connecting the same, a belt-shifter and means for moving said belt-shifter only during the advance of the carriage, substantially as described.

4. Inaspinning-mule,thecombination with the front and rear feed-rolls, of means for driving the rear rolls, said means including reversely-arranged cones and a belt connecting the same, a belt-shifter, a screw-rod engaging the belt-shifter, and means for driving said rod intermittingly, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC BRIGGS, JUNR.

\Vitnesses:

H. W. DENTON INGHAM, ERNEST HY SALE. 

